How to Get Kids to Eat More Fruit

Make Eating Fruit Fun With a Taste Test

The other day I got a call from a family friend. "Would you be interested in a peach taste test?" she asked. My answer was an enthusiastic yes! She purchased four types of stone fruit from the farmers market and thought it would be entertaining to taste them all. While she's researching what kind of peach to plant in her garden, I thought the taste test would be a great way to get my dad excited about eating fruit! Normally when I offer him a slice of peach, he politely declines, but when I told him it was a taste test, he was eager to try all four fruits.Conducting a taste test is also a great way to encourage kids to eat more fruit and vegetables. With the farmers markets over flowing with in-season produce, it's an opportune time to purchase several varieties of one item and taste the differences. Here's what we did:

Use all your senses. Before you slice open the peach (or whatever fruit), touch and smell it.

Cut the peaches in half and look at the flesh. Compare and contrast the colors of each fruit.

Slice into pieces and taste. Note how the flavors of one can affect the taste of another. For example, the white nectarine, when paired with the other peaches, tasted horribly bitter. Later, when I went back and took another taste of it, not after eating the others, it tasted sweet and juicy.

Have you ever performed a taste test? What are your tips for getting nonfruit eaters to consume more fresh produce?